Powerscourt House started off as a medieval castle built in the 13th century for the La Poer family, whose name was anglicised to ‘Power’. However, by the 18th century it was too outdated for the 1st Viscount Powerscourt, Richard Wingfield. He commissioned German-born architect Richard Castle to redesign the house for him and the work was completed in 1741. Castle adapted the North Front to make an entrance in the Palladian style and added dome-roofed towers in the baroque style on either side. In the 19th century, the 7th Viscount Powerscourt created the new gardens, taking inspiration from the gardens at Versailles to make the Japanese gardens, walled gardens, a Dolphin Pond and Pets Cemetery. The Tower Valley has a stone tower which is apparently designed after one of Lady Wingfield’s favourite pepperpots. Most of the gardens were designed by Daniel Robertson in the 1840s, but the work took 40 years to complete since he was rather partial to a swig or two of sherry as he worked. 

The estate belonged to the Wingfield family for 350 years until it was bought by the Slazengers, of tennis ball fame. Ralph Slazenger and his wife, Gwen, lived on the estate for 10 years and wanted to refurbish it for visitors. But in November 1974, a fire destroyed most of the interiors of the house. It took 20 years for the house to be restored and opened to the public. 

Irish brand Avoca has a café inside the building, and nearby you’ll find a five-star hotel in the grounds and a garden pavilion for plant-buying. Tara’s Palace Museum of Childhood relocated here in 2011, and has dollhouses, miniatures and historic toys. If you venture a bit further away from the house, you can drive to the Powerscourt Waterfall, which is the highest waterfall in Ireland and is in parkland with short walking trails.